NEW YORK (Sputnik) — New York City has enacted a law guaranteeing transgender persons the right to use a public restroom consistent with their gender identity, the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement on Monday.
"Mayor Bill de Blasio today signed an executive order requiring [New York] City agencies to ensure that employees and members of the public are given access to City single-sex facilities consistent with their gender identity," the statement noted.
The law also states that New York residents attempting to use a bathroom of the opposite sex will no longer be required show valid identification, medical documentation, or any other form of proof or verification of gender.
The idea of gender-neutral access to public restrooms is an issue that is being heavily debated across the United States. A similar law was passed last year in Houston, Texas, but was rejected by voters in the fall.
Moreover, a bill was passed in the US state of South Dakota requiring transgender students to use bathrooms matching their sex at birth, but was later vetoed by the South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard.
